Singapore – Startup Base Genesis has collaborated with creative agency MullenLowe Singapore to reimagine the cultural practice of joss paper burning with the launch of ‘Eco Hell Note’. 

Eco Hell Note is a joss paper innovation that burns cleanly without leaving any residue. It is printed on nitrocellulose paper, making it a sustainable product that ensures complete combustion, leading to a cleaner and more sustainable practice.

Launched in time for the Qingming Festival, the innovative product prevents excessive purchasing and burning of joss papers for ancestors by using the largest possible denomination of money in the Chinese language, ‘Yi ji’ (一极) at 48 zeroes, such that a single note represents stacks of hell notes. 

Furthermore, it is carefully crafted to reflect the traditional aesthetics of joss paper, featuring auspicious colours such as gold and red, unique serial numbers, and an imperial seal. 

Burning the Eco Hell Note does not leave ash residue due to the use of flash paper, which burns completely. The note also has a special coating that creates a stunning visual spectacle when burned.

Eco Hell Note reduces paper waste and offers an environmentally-friendly alternative to burning joss paper while maintaining respect for traditional practices.

Base Genesis is a startup dedicated to revitalising cherished traditions and connecting past wisdom with future aspirations. 

Chris Huang, co-founder of Base Genesis, said, “At Base Genesis, our mission is to help our traditions flourish and remain relevant for generations to come, ensuring they not only endure but also contribute positively to the world. We hope that the Eco Hell Note can help more people uphold our traditions that are dear to us in a way that is sustainable, socially responsible, and in keeping with our values of filial piety, giving thanks, and sharing with those in need.”

Shengjin Ang, executive creative director at MullenLowe Singapore, also shared, “We are delighted to work with Base Genesis to produce this new spin on the hell note, reimagining a traditional cultural artefact that has been part of Chinese culture for centuries. We believe this innovation will bring the younger generation into the conversation, helping them to find a balance between continuing cultural customs and practicing a way of life that is important to them.”

Singapore – The Singaporean Ministry of Communications and Information has teamed up with creative agency MullenLowe Singapore to create a Chinese New Year film that celebrates the unity and resilience of Singaporeans as they celebrate the occasion.

Made in collaboration with local director Royston Tan, the film titled ‘Extended Love’ by MullenLowe Singapore and MCI displays how Singaporeans value both their family and their community. 

The film features a young overseas-based Singaporean woman who returns home for Chinese New Year to persuade her grandmother to join her family abroad. However, she soon learns that her grandmother, who runs a ‘cai png’ (mixed rice) stall at a coffee shop, has started her own tradition of bringing neighbours together for a  cai png reunion dinner at the coffee shop every year, showing that she is not without family within the community.

Talking about the film, Tan said, “The film explores our notions of family and community, and how ‘extending’ the warmth of a meal to those around us can make for a joyful reunion. Through the film, we want to highlight the beauty and strength of strong community ties, while encouraging Singaporeans to come together to celebrate the festive occasion in new and meaningful ways.”

Meanwhile, Paul Soon, CEO of MullenLowe Singapore, commented, We are delighted to collaborate with Royston to produce the film ‘Extended Love’ this Chinese New Year. In this short film, we recognise that Singapore is becoming more diverse in terms of aspirations and preferences, even in celebrating our key festivities, but that what makes us Singaporean — resilience, unitedness, inclusiveness — remains the same.” 

“This mirrors the values of the Forward Singapore exercise as we build our shared future. We hope this heartwarming story can remind Singaporeans of what’s truly important — being present for each other,” he concluded. 

The film is now on the official Singaporean Government’s social media channels and can be viewed on Free-To-Air Television, Ch 8 and Ch U from February 2 to February 25, 2024.

Singapore – The country’s Land Transport Authority (LTA) has tapped MullenLowe Singapore to conceptualise the latest iteration of its ‘Graciousness on Public Transport’ campaign.

The campaign, which was first launched in 2014 by the government body, is led by iconic characters Stand-Up Stacey, Move-In Martin, Give-Way Glenda, Bag-Down Benny and Hush-Hush Hannah of the Thoughtful Bunch. 

The annual campaign reminds and nudges commuters to take action to spread graciousness for a more pleasant everyday journey across the country’s MRT network.

Commenting on the campaign, Agnes Lim, director of marketing communications at LTA, said, “The annual Graciousness on Public Transport Campaign started in 2009 to promote acts of thoughtful behaviour on public transport, such as giving up seats, queueing in an orderly manner, and moving in for a more pleasant commute. These characters are just like the everyday commuter, trying to do the right thing to make the travel experience on public transport more pleasant.”

Meanwhile, Paul Soon, CEO at MullenLowe Singapore, commented, “It is always exciting to have the opportunity to work on Singapore icons like the Thoughtful Bunch, who through the years have developed a close affinity and relationship with all who live and commute in Singapore. We intend to continue to build on what has already been so successfully nurtured by Agnes and her team by extending the emotions that all Singaporeans should feel when they take the steps to be thoughtful.”

This latest campaign will launch in the third quarter of the year, and will run for 6 months island-wide, across out-of-home, digital and social communications.

Singapore — Another virtual edifice has sprung up in the metaverse virtual destination Decentraland this month. Millennium Hotels and Resorts has approached ad agency MullenLowe Singapore to help launch M Social Decentraland; the virtual hotel modelled on different M Social properties around the world. The new hotel encapsulates M Social’s brand essence of being a trendsetting lifestyle and aims to be a place for all to gather in the virtual world.

Located near Genesis Plaza, at the heart of Decentraland, M Social Decentraland sits on prime digital land. Similar to its brick-and-mortar sister hotels, it is positioned as a hub for explorers keen to discover new experiences and connect with like-minded individuals. The team at MullenLowe Singapore helped create the virtual hotel which flaunts a giant ‘M’ on each of its four sides, with glass exteriors and neon pink accents creating a sleek interior look.

Guests who step inside M Social Decentraland can interact with an avatar that welcomes everyone in the lobby. The avatar guides guests on a journey of discovery through the hotel. Those who reach the top of Decentraland, and share a screenshot of their avatar with #MSocialDecentraland on their social channels, stand a chance to win real world hotel surprises.

Commenting on the project, Abhishek Goyal, head of digital of MullenLowe Singapore, said, “With an explosion of interest and audience engagement in the Metaverse, we’ve embraced the challenge to capitalise on opportunities this new virtual world offers a hospitality brand like Millennium Hotels and Resorts.”

Goyal continued by saying, “We believe being the first hotel to operate in the metaverse means they’re at the forefront of tapping those opportunities. We’re sure that this will be the first of many initiatives designed to bring virtual and real world solutions closer together for M Social and its guests.”

Meanwhile, Saurabh Prakash, group senior VP of commercial for Millennium Hotels and Resorts, shared, “We are embracing different technologies to engage customers and enhance guest experiences. The metaverse is one such avenue that presents a myriad of opportunities for us to create unique social connections with our guests. M Social Decentraland will enable us to reach out to new and existing customers in both the physical and virtual world with online connection to offline engagement.”

Guests can also look forward to treasures and surprises when they visit M Social Decentraland. Future integration for the hotel will include linkage to the M Social website and special events to mark upcoming special occasions.

Manila, Philippines – Dating app Bumble, the disruptor in the dating scene founded in 2014, has released its first-ever campaign for the Philippines. The app currently has presence globally in 150 countries, where in Southeast Asia, it’s present in markets such as Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore. The campaign titled ‘Make the First Move’ is the first-ever communications of the brand in the country.

With the emergence of the internet, dating apps, in recent years, have become increasingly popular among young people, embracing it as a go-to opportunity to meet and mingle with other people.

Bumble, the women-first dating and networking app, has just released its first brand campaign for the Philippines, which seeks to empower women to take charge of their dating lives.

Bumble enables women to send the first message to start a conversation with a match, setting the tone for ‘kind’ and more ‘respectful’ communication and relationships.

The new campaign, which was created in collaboration with integrated marketing agency MullenLowe Singapore, aims to showcase Bumble’s mission to challenge traditional gender norms by encouraging women to make the first move.

The ‘Make the First Move’ film highlights how taking charge in dating can be exciting, empowering, and fun for women. Staying true to its mission for women, the production for the campaign was also women-led, shot by a crew with over 70% women representation.

Lucille McCart, Bumble’s director for APAC, believes that equitable relationships are key to a happy and healthy life. 

“This campaign shows that while putting yourself out there to make the first move can be taking yourself out of your comfort zone, it can also lead to feeling more empowered, more confident, and making meaningful connections that can lead to lasting relationships,” said McCart.

Bumble believes the campaign comes at a time when Filipinos are leaning into virtual dating, given the impact of the pandemic and strict lockdowns. According to the platform, about 30% of people on Bumble in the Philippines said they want to date virtually only, while a further 42% said they are open to socially distanced dating, with just 25% still preferring to date in real life. 

The film will run across Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, as well as TikTok, and local OTT platforms throughout September 2021.